The Secret Instrument
by Sailor Star Venus
Summary: Just when Clary and Jace were beginning to have a normal life, they find out an old evil is lurking. It searches for the hidden instrument that even Valentine had no clue about. But will their pursuit of this enemy end with the loss of a loved one? Please R&R.
1. A New Mortal Instrument

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments-Cassandra Clare does. She owns ID, which is also awesome. **

**Please R&R, even if you don't like it. :D I'd like people to like this fanfic as much as they liked ****Tessa's Prince**, **which people liked the most. **

**The Fourth Mortal Instrument**

Clary Fray and Jace Wayland sat in the garden, eating apples and watching the butterflies flit from flower to flower. They talked more comfortably now, knowing that their relationship was no longer forbidden.

"So, Clary," Jace asked. "What has the bloodsucker been up to these days?" Although Jace still used the term "bloodsucker" when he mentioned Simon, it was now a mere joke. A while ago, he had used it only to offend Simon.

Clary teasingly slapped him on the arm. "Simon is doing great," she replied. "Well, besides the common high school dilemma of girls." She rolled her eyes. Jace did too. They both knew that Simon was having a hard time deciding who he wanted to date—Maia or Isabelle.

"He'll choose someone, eventually." Jace said trying not to laugh.

While Clary was in the middle of whom she thought Simon would choose, the arguing voices of Simon and Isabelle became hearable. As they came up into the garden up the stairs, Clary and Jace saw that their expressions were aggravated. Alec and Magnus came behind them, trying to be discreet about it.

"I _told _you," Isabelle pouted. "Choose me or that _Downworlder_."

"And I have told you," Simon retaliated, "That I can't make my choice just yet. Also, don't speak of Downworlders like that! I am one, too!"

As their arguing continued, Jace leaned toward Clary's ear. He whispered loudly, "You should probably take back the 'doing great' part that you said about Simon."

"I think so too," Magnus decided as Alec nodded his head in agreement.

_"What did you say?" _Simon and Isabelle said at the same time, looking at their audience.

This caused the group of friends to start a huge argument. Magnus blamed Clary for spreading rumors about Simon, which made Jace irritated at Magnus for accusing Clary for this. Naturally, this made Alec made at Jace for making Magnus sound responsible for this. Soon enough, everyone was yelling at each other.

Nobody noticed Maryse and Robert Lightwood come upstairs in a hurry, their faces pale. "ISABELLE, ALEC, AND THE REST OF YOU!" Maryse screamed over the fight. "Will you pay attention? This is very important!"

A sudden quietness overcame the greenhouse. When an honored Shadowhunter like Maryse said something was important, something that could possibly change the world was about to happen, or had already happened.

"We just heard," Robert said in a shaky voice, "From Idris that Jonathan is still alive. And that he is searching with a horde of demons for the secret fourth Mortal Instrument."

**So, what did you think? I was bored so decided to start another fanfic but…please R&R! I love it when people tell me what they think, no matter if it is positive or negative. **

**-SSV**


	2. Back to the Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments. **

**Please, please, **_**please **_**review more! Out of 41 people, only 4 reviewed!**

It was like the whole room froze. None of the people moved, and the only sound was the faint patter of rain starting to fall onto the roof of the greenhouse. _Sebastian is alive? _Clary thought dizzily. _But I thought that Jace had managed to kill him! _

Not surprisingly, Jace was the first one to speak. "He can't be alive," he argued. "I clearly remember taking his sword from him in battle, leaving him for dead."

"Not to mention," Isabelle added before her mother could say anything. "Hodge drilled into us about as many times Jace is rude to Simon that there are THREE Mortal Instruments. The cup, the sword, and the mirror/lake, right?" As she said this, Jace gave her a faked hurt look and Simon gave a smile to Isabelle.

Maryse slowly shook her head. "I do not want to believe it, either." She admitted. "But Hodge must have been hiding _this _from us and even Valentine." She gestured to Robert, who held up an ancient-looking book. "It is the original legend of the Mortal Instruments," he said.

Everyone rushed over to the tattered pages that Robert had opened. Then, all their eyes widened. There was the picture that they all were familiar with; the angel with the cup, sword, and mirror/lake. However, there was one small detail that they were all unacquainted with.

The angel Raziel was carrying a shield.

"What in—"Alec breathed. Isabelle read the paragraph next to the picture in a shaky voice. "_The mortal called for his Angel, who rose out of the lake (now called Lake Lyn) emitting a glow stronger than a thousand stars. He asked the mortal what his favor be. The mortal asked for protection from the creatures of Hell. (Now noted as demons) And so, the Angel Raziel dropped his blood into his cup and created the race of Nephilim. However, this protection was not enough. To save the race of humans, Raziel bestowed another gift to mankind-a sword. This sword had the ability to control demons at the possessor's will. Along with this sword," _Isabelle's voice grew higher in pitch, "_Raziel bequeathed a golden shield from the Heavens, Curatrix. He vowed that this shield was invincible to all weapons, and its metal, if melded into a new weapon, would be even more powerful than Maellartach."_

An eerie silence hung over the astonished warriors. They were all thinking the same thing: If Jonathan succeeded in obtaining Curatrix, he could destroy Nephilim with just creating a new weapon.

"Big deal," Jace said, and 7 pairs of eyes questioned his saneness. "Jonathan is just another enemy of the Clave," he explained. "Are we not allowed to kill him and get the stupid shield before he does?"

"Well…," Clary reasoned, choosing her words wisely. If she said the wrong thing, Jace would speed off to go kill Jonathan. "Seb-Jonathan _is _a rather formidable nemesis. We shouldn't just go blindly looking for a shield and enemy that we have no clue of their whereabouts."

Alec agreed with his sister. "Last time we looked for him, you died." He said. "That time Clary was able to save you, but who knows about this time?"

"Great, now you're all ganging up on me," Jace rolled his eyes. "I'm so _honored _that all of you think I will fall for the same trap twice. I'm not that stupid."

"Right," Magnus mocked. "Because you _totally _fell for it the first time."

Jace was about to make one of his rude comebacks when Simon interrupted him. "This isn't the time to be quarreling amongst each other," he stated. "While Jonathan is getting closer by the day to finding Curatrix, you two are talking about how gullible Jace is." "Though I would also agree with Magnus," he added unhelpfully.

Jace sighed resignedly, and put on a somewhat more serious attitude. "No matter what anyone says, I still think we should go search for Curatrix as soon as possible." He said stubbornly.

Robert considered this for a moment, and then nodded his head slowly. "It would certainly be more productive than standing around discussing Jace's naivety," he decided. Jace smiled triumphantly. "I knew someone would agree with me." He said victoriously. Clary, Alec, and Isabelle were about to object, but they also knew that Jace's strategy would be the most effective.

"Where do we start, then?" Clary asked cautiously.

Surprisingly, Jace already had an answer. "Lake Lyn," he responded. "We should begin where it all started."

**So, how was it? The Clary/Jace, Isabelle/Simon, and possibly Magnus/Alec will start in later chapters. Please R&R! **


	3. Preparation

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instrument series… **

**This chapter is a bit Clary/Jace. **

Since the Shadowhunters decided that this would be one of those missions where they had no idea when they would return to the Institute, Maryse and Robert suggested that they pack extra clothes and other necessities in a bag and take them with them. Jace nodded and quickly ran off to get his things, while the rest of his friends just dragged themselves to their rooms to pack.

In her room, Clary took a look around her room. She couldn't bear to leave any of her belongings, but she needed to so she didn't have to carry a bag as heavy as a Ravener demon around with her. _I'm such a packrat, _she thought resignedly. However, she eventually decided what she would take with her and what she would not.

While hunting around in her drawers for her favorite sweater and jeans, a piece of paper fluttered down from the shelves above her head. She curiously opened it, to only find it was Jace's letter that he had given to her. She smiled and put it inside the navy bag she was bringing.

"Something to remember me by?" A voice teased her from behind her. Clary turned around, finding Jace behind her.

"Must you just come into my room without asking?" Clary asked irritably. "It shocks the daylights out of me."

"Even when someone that looks like an angel is standing behind you?" he said, pretending to be offended. Then, his expression became slightly more serious. "I suppose it isn't funny to joke around like that anymore," he admitted.

Clary sighed. "I suppose so," she agreed.

Jace then looked at her, his eyes intense. Clary looked back at him, wondering what he was thinking. It was always so hard to find out what Jace was thinking—he was as closed as the window next to her.

"I wanted to ask you something before we leave," he said.

Clary suspiciously narrowed her eyes. Jace always put what he wanted so say out in words as soon as they popped into his head, with no filters. When he stalled like this, it meant that he was hesitating to say something bad, or even sometimes unfortunate.

"Do you really want to come with us, Clary?" He asked softly but forcefully.

Clary's doubtful expression became upset. "Haven't we talked about this already?" She seethed. "I. Don't. Want. To. Be. Left. Behind."

"I know that," Jace said nearly understandingly. "But last time you followed me to Idris, you nearly died. I can't lose you." His voice broke on the last sentence.

"Last time you left me, I had to create an illegal Portal to come after you," Clary retaliated. "Even if you leave, I'll just draw up another Portal."

Jace shook his head. "Clary," he sighed. "When will you ever learn?"

Before I had a chance to answer, Jace swept me off the floor and put his lips to mine. It had been a while since he had done that, so I kissed him back with all my heart.

The kiss was starting to get more passionate when my door banged open. Jace and I broke apart, him cussing. Magnus stood there, Alec wide-eyed behind him.

"Uh…," Alec mumbled embarrassedly. "We were just gonna call you to check if we've got everything we need…"

"If you're busy," Magnus added unhelpfully. "We can just shut the door and leave…?"

Jace looked slightly annoyed, but answered. "We're not really BUSY." He stated in a bored tone. "We were until you busted in."

Alec apologized frantically, as Jace grinned and "forgave" him. They then all went down to where Isabelle, Simon, and the Lightwoods were waiting. They were ready, ready for whatever was facing them. Ready to find Jonathan and Curatrix.

**So what did you think? Please R&R….and still need 6 more reviews for an epilogue of Tessa's Prince: Jem Version. Just a reminder that if you want an epilogue, please review! .**


	4. Lake Lyn

**Disclaimer: I do not own the MI series. Cassandra Clare does, and CoFA is almost out! So excited—!**

**Anyway, this is chapter 4. Please R&R!**

"So we've got pretty much all the weapons that we own, steles, clothes, and other necessities." Simon announced. "But WHY," he asked doubtfully. "Are we bringing a _tent?" _At this accusation, everyone looked at Isabelle. She shrugged. "If we ever get stranded somewhere because of this hunt for Jonathan," she explained. "I don't wanna be sleeping in the cold."

Alec looked at his sister like she was insane.

"Well, Alec was the one who was sighing about how he wouldn't be able to sleep in his room for who knows how long," Jace said at the wrong time. He then earned himself a betrayed and outraged look from Alec and a slap from Clary.

"Anyway," Simon cut in. "Can we go now?"

Jace, Clary, Magnus, Isabelle, and Alec nodded in agreement for the first and most likely the last. Then, they all walked toward the exit of the Institute. As they did, Clary took out her mother's stele. She knew it was an old version, but she treasured it a lot.

After a long round of hugs and farewells, Alec asked Clary to create a Portal. She nodded, and quickly drew one. _I hope this works, _she thought nervously.

She jumped into the Portal, and shortly after followed by the rest of her companions. They were heading toward Lake Lyn.

Clary fell onto the sandy ground around Lake Lyn, and was soon sandwiched between it and Isabelle who fell out of the Portal after her. "Ow!" she exclaimed. "You're the one to talk," Clary complained. "I'm practically two-dimensional now!" This led the two girls into an argument ("I'm not _that _heavy!" "Well, when gravity is accompanied with a teenage girl falling it hurts!" etc. etc.), which was broken up by Alec and Magnus.

After the girls had calmed down, they looked around the lake. Everything looked normal, or at least as normal as it had been last time they had seen it. The mysterious waters lapped the shoreline, devouring the land.

"Let's split up into and investigate," Jace suggested. "Alec and Simon, Magnus and Isabelle, and—"

"Jace and Clary," Magnus finished in a singsong voice. Jace picked up a rock casually and threw it full force at Magnus. He dodged it like a cat, and then pulled Isabelle along toward the opposite direction Alec and Simon were already heading. That left the cave to the south for Jace and Clary. They looked at each other, and led each other that way.

As they walked cautiously toward the cavern, a panicky beeping came from Jace's pocket. Automatically, Jace reached into it and pulled out his Sensor. He cursed, and slid his sword out of its sheath. "There's some demon here," he warned Clary, "and it's pretty dangerous." Clary nodded, and took out her own sword. Maryse had given it to her before she left, telling her that in the past few weeks, her training had made her a strong Shadowhunter. She then continued to walk with Jace deeper into the darkness.

The Sensor's noise gradually grew, until it nearly hurt Clary's ears. The witchlight in her hand created a point of brightness inside the cave. Its light was soon barricaded by a wall. Jace made an impatient noise. "It's a dead end," he told Clary. "I guess there's nothing for us to examine here."

Unexpectedly, the cave began to rumble. Jace swore and scanned the area. His eyes wandered until it rested on something straight ahead of them that Clary could not see. _What is he looking at? _She wondered.

She soon found out when the "dead end" moved. It was a peculiar wall, with a slightly different coloring than the rest of the cave, slightly darker. Then, she saw that the wall had 2 large beetles. _Beetles? _She thought, confused. There should be no living life like bugs in this cave! It then hit her like a tsunami.

The "beetles" were pupil-less eyes. The "wall" was a body.

It was the demon that the Sensor had been warning them about.

_**Who comes into my territory? **_A deep voice inquired.

Clary couldn't speak. The demon was overwhelming in size, and very terrifying. Its eyes seemed to be sewed onto its face, which had a large mouth with long dagger-like teeth. The teeth resembled the horns that rested on the creature's head. Jace did not seem to be bothered by the appearance of the monster.

"Shadowhunters," he declared. Apparently he had no fear of becoming the monster's chew toy. "But we come in peace."

_**Shadowhunters? **_The beast asked in an aggressive tone. _**You are one of those who threatened to kill me…do you plan to betray the promise and slaughter me? **_

__"We have no intentions of doing so," Clary said, finally finding her voice. "We are here looking for the Angel's shield, Curatrix."

_**Curatrix was stolen from me many centuries ago, **_the demon growled. _**By one of you Shadowhunters by the name of Morgenstern. **_

Meanwhile, Alec and Simon were circling the lake, looking for any leads to Curatrix. They had not found anything yet, just a few steles that had been left behind by their owners by accident.

"Do you think that Jace was right about coming to Lake Lyn?" Simon asked. Alec gave him a long look. "I'm not sure," he admitted, "but do you have any other ideas?"

Simon was about to answer when something rose out of the lake. Alec immediately spun around.

A strange demon flew out into the clouds and toward where Isabelle and Magnus were supposed to be. It was a 3-eyed crow, with a fish's tail.

Alec swore. "We let it get away," he complained. Simon shook his head. "Not yet," he promised. Then he dashed off after it. Alec sprinted after him, while taking out his weapon—a gun filled with demon-exterminating bullets that he had brought with him.

He had no idea what the demon was, or what Jace and Clary were facing at the moment.

** What did you think? It's hard trying to write two scenes going on at the same time…****Hope I did okay. Please R&R!**


	5. Doorways and Dimensions

**Disclaimer: I do not own MI…I wish I did though. **

**Anyway, I'm sorry for delaying the next chapter. I was busy with schoolwork. **

JACE AND CLARY

"What do you mean by stolen?" Jace asked in a shaky voice. _Morgenstern? _He wondered. _That means that it must have been one of Valentine's relatives. The evil thing must run in the family, _he couldn't help thinking.

_**A young man, perhaps your age. **_The beast rumbled. _**He tricked me into giving him the shield, and fled with his life. **_

"Do you know what happened to the shield after that?" Clary asked. She desperately hoped the monster would know, but in her heart she knew that it did not. After all, she despaired, if it knew where it had gone, it would have chased after it.

_**Alas, no. **_The monster sighed. _**It has disappeared like the other Instruments. **_

__Jace narrowed his eyes. "Valentine found 3," he informed it. "The cup, the sword, and the mirror. The only one missing is the shield."

_**I cannot help you, **_the beast growled. _**Shadowhunters may think they are doing good for the world, but they are the beings that slay us. **_

__Clary sighed resignedly. The beast did have a point. "We're sorry for bothering you," she said. "We will be leaving now."

Jace looked at her accusingly, but consented. "Goodbye," he said.

_**Wait, **_the creature cautioned. _**For your courtesy, young Shadowhunters, I shall bestow upon you a gift. **_It suddenly slashed its own flesh. A blackish liquid dripped from the slit, where it pooled onto the floor of the cave. Where the blood touched the ground, it sizzled slightly and formed a bottomless hole. Clary gasped. Jace, for once, was speechless.

_**This is a Doorway, **_the demon explained. _**It will take you where the Shadowhunters have never ventured—the demon dimension where the Morgenstern boy fled. **_

__Jace and Clary looked at each other. Should they trust this demon that they barely knew of? What if it was a trick of Jonathan's? And what about the others? Would they worry about them?

Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, and Simon were all warriors. Although they were not all Shadowhunters, they were brave. And they would know that Jace and Clary had found a lead and gone on. They would be upset, but they would understand.

_**Hurry, **_the demon pressed. _**The Doorway will soon close!**_

__Clary took Jace's hand. He made a startled noise, but gripped hers back. They looked at each other in the eye, and jumped into the ominous blackness below them.

As Alec and Simon ran, the saw Isabelle and Magnus in the distance. The demon was already there, and they were battling it with all their strength.

Alec and Simon saw the demon clearly now. The crow had a slimy fishtail that shined dully in the sun. The other part of the bird was a skeleton, with 3 dark eyes that looked glued to the skull.

"ISABELLE! MAGNUS!" Simon shouted. "Are you all right?"

Isabelle turned to look at him for a fraction of a second and screamed, "We're fine, but this demon is really fast!"

Simon could tell. The demon blurred when it flapped around, agile and swift. It easily dodged Isabelle's whip and avoided Magnus' flames.

Alec stared at the gun he had been holding. If he was going to use it, now was the time. He had been training to use it for a while, but he was still not very accurate. _What if I hit Isabelle or Magnus? _He thought frantically.

However, he knew that if he didn't fire, the wild demon would kill his sister and boyfriend first.

Alec aimed carefully at the bony, skeleton-like body of the demon.

The shot whistled right through the empty space between the bones of the demon. _Damn, _Alec thought. _If the demon wasn't a skeleton, it would have hit. _

The second bullet, however, shot through the air, and hit the crow's spine. It shattered, and the 2 parts of the demon flopped down to the sand near Simon's feet.

"That's disgusting," Simon remarked.

Isabelle laughed, her hair tangled from chasing the demon. "At least there's no blood," she told him. "It could've been worse."

Magnus nodded. "I'm surprised at how weak the demon was," he said. "I expected it to have more fight in it."

Alec also agreed, and the 4 of them began to discuss what the demon might have been.

As they turned their back slightly on the carcass of the crow, something astounding happened.

The skeleton slowly reformed itself.

Isabelle was the first to notice. "Guys!" She screamed. "Look behind you!"

They spun around, and Alec shot another bullet at it. He did not miss, and got the bone again. However, he was a second too late. The crow, before it fell to the ground once more, let out a terrible shriek.

"What in-?" Simon wondered.

He did not have to wait long. A flock of demons, identical to the one that Alec had just gunned down, flew out of the lake's waters and came at the group.

"There's too many," Alec exclaimed. "I don't have enough weapons!"

"Don't say that," Isabelle yelled. "Just fight them. If we die, we die like Shadowhunters!"

The four of them pulled out their weapons—Alec had his gun, Isabelle slashed her whip, Magnus got ready to cast his spells, and Simon used a sword that Luke had given him.

They fought fiercely, but they could not overcome the birds that resurrected themselves. One by one, the warriors gave in.

As he succumbed to the demons, Simon's last thought was: _Are the demons taking us somewhere? _

The demons were taking them somewhere—somewhere Simon and the others had never dreamed of.

**So how was it? Good? Bad? AWFUL? Please review your comments, so I can improve my writing! **

**-SSV **


	6. The Riddle

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI, but CoFA is out now!**

**Anyway, sorry for neglecting my story. I feel really bad for it….**

**In any case, I will update once I get 20 reviews. **

_Thump. _Clary clumsily fell to the ground of where the demon had sent her. Jace landed next to her gracefully and silently, like a cat. She looked at him accusingly.

"I wish I could do that, as well," she complained. "This happened last time I went through a Portal, too." Jace laughed, and helped her off the ground. Then, they looked around.

Clary's first impression of the room was that it looked like the video games that Maia sometimes played. Around her was a circle of 7 doors, each identical in size and shape. Above her head was a nearly endless column of identical doors, arranged in the same pattern of 7. At the very top, Clary could barely see a stained glass painting of an angel.

Jace seemed just as shocked as Clary was. "How do we navigate through this place?" He asked to nobody in particular. Clary was spared from answering when the rumbling voice of the demon echoed through the dimension.

_**Choose carefully, **_the demon warned. _**For I can no longer help you on this mission. However, take these clues and use them wisely. One solved clue will bring you to the next. **_

__An ancient-looking scroll suddenly materialized in Jace's hand. He opened it cautiously, as if he were expecting it to combust into flames. However, it did not. Instead, words appeared as if being written by an invisible hand spelled out a verse of a poem. Jace read them out loud.

"_Caution, oh solver, for each door shall hide_

_One clue, one misfortune or the chance of death_

_Many doors will remain untried_

_Since once selected, the chooser's first breath_

_Will seal their fate to the choice they make. _

_So heed these clues that can mark the way_

_Only one with wit will unravel_

_These hints that could make their death delay_

_Merely the first two floors contain doorways that travel_

_To where hunters search_

_For what they yearn for_

_A bell-ringing church_

_3 of 14 doors_

_Will lead to a place_

_Where nobody goes_

_An empty space_

_Which ones they are, Heaven knows_

_4 certain deaths shall try to hide_

_But only returns to home lie in the middles_

_And on the left sides_

_Though confusing are these riddles,_

_If you would value your life 3__rd__ from both lefts are not your friend,_

_And those 2__nd__ from both rights shall be your tragic end. _

_The remaining 3 shall bring you joy,_

_For all of them will grant your wish."_

Jace took a deep breath after reading. "I don't like the 'tragic end' and 'certain death' parts," he decided. "We should probably go with the 'grant your wish' doors." Clary rolled her eyes playfully, but her mind was somewhere else. She knew that a riddle given by a demon would not be easy solving.

"I suppose we should start-," Clary was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise. She looked around, but nothing seemed to be stirring. However, Jace noticed almost instantly. "CLARY!" He yelled and pointed above them.

The ceiling was slowly descending, and making its way down to make the two of them Shadowhunter pudding.

_We're doomed, _Clary thought frantically. _Unless we solve this riddle. _

**So how was it? Cliff-hangerish? Sorry, my brother's kicking me off the computer. **

** Please R&R, and I will write another chapter after 20 reviews. **


	7. The Angel Above Them

**Disclaimer: Yes, again, I don't own MI. I want to but Cassie deserves to be the creator of such a great series! **

**So, sorry for neglecting the story…I've been busy lately with projects and such.**

Clary couldn't stop staring, horrified at their fate. The ceiling was sinking slowly, but as it did it started to cover some of the doorways. _What if the doorway we need to go through gets blocked? _Clary thought desperately.

As she was staring upset by the falling ceiling, Jace had already started solving the puzzle. "Clary," he said urgently, "You need to help as well, unless you want to become the world's first abstract Shadowhunter paining. Well, that's not strictly true, there was this one fellow—"

"I get it," Clary interrupted. "If I've got this calculation correctly, we've got 24 minutes and 35 seconds. That should be enough time."

Jace nodded. "Let's start solving the riddle," he agreed. "Stay calm. If you panic, it's not going to help the situation."

Clary took a deep breath to calm herself, and started to read aloud the first lines of the poem she thought were solvable. "_Many doors will remain untried, since once selected, the chooser's first breath will seal their fate to the choice they make_," She read. "I think that means that once we open a door, we have to stick to that choice," she thought out loud. Jace nodded in agreement. "Next?" he asked.

"_Merely the first two floors contain doorways that travel to where hunters search-for what they yearn for-a bell-ringing church_." Clary read. She made a face. "This is confusing," she complained. "We're not even looking for a church…are we?"

Jace shrugged. "Maybe," he disagreed. "We don't even know _what _we're looking for. But maybe Jonathan is IN this church."

"I'll try drawing a chart," Clary suggested, "To eliminate doors that aren't wanted."

Jace's lips formed a lopsided grin, and he casually threw her his stele. "I knew you'd think of something," he said.

Clary smiled, and then proceeded to solving the riddle. "_Merely the first two floors contain doorways that travel to where hunters search…" _Clary pondered. "That means that the door we're looking for is located on the first two floors of this place." She then drew a chart of the first 2 floors.

"This should narrow it down quite a bit," Jace said. "Next clue?"

"_Three of fourteen doors will lead to a place where no one goes, an empty space. Which ones they are, Heaven knows."_ Clary recited. "Heaven knows?" She asked Jace. "That doesn't make any sense!"

Jace merely shook his head. "Let's skip that clue," he suggested. "What's the next clue?"

"_4 certain deaths shall try to hide, but only returns to home lie in the middles and on the left sides_," Clary said. She then held used the stele to draw the runes for 'home' in the middle and left squares of the chart. Immediately, these runes glowed and identical ones formed onto the actual doors the chart squares represented. Jace sucked in a breath. "This will make it more convenient," he said unhelpfully. "Um…next clue?"

"_If you would value your life 3rd from both lefts are not your friend, and those 2nd from both rights shall be your tragic end._" Clary read. She then drew the swirling mark of death on 4 doors.

(A/N: The chart she's drawing looks like this now:

Both floors: home, mystery, death, home, mystery, death, mystery)

"_The remaining 3 shall bring you joy, for all of them will grant your wish_." Jace finished. "There's still the 3 doors that go to "nowhere" mixed in!"

Clary started panicking. The only clue they hadn't used yet was the "Heaven knows" clue, and she didn't know how to solve it!

As she was thinking, Clary paced and looked around the circular room. Her eyes rested on the beautiful angel on the slowly descending ceiling. Amidst all the dangers, the artist's eye inside Clary couldn't help marveling at the elegance and beauty of the stained glass angel.

_It's so gorgeous, _Clary thought. _The white wings that look like they are real feathers, the piercing blue eyes—it seems to be a true angel. One that would come straight from—. _

Clary stopped. "Jace," she nearly screamed. "JACE!"

Jace looked up, startled. "I'm trying to think, Clary," he said. "We've only got 7 minutes now…" He pointed up at the ceiling.

Clary shook her head violently. "I think I understand the clue," she explained. "And it has to do with that stained glass above us."

**So…cliff-hanger again! Sorry, but now DAD is kicking me off…apparently I've been spending too much time on the computer lately. **

**Please R&R—I'm begging you! PLEASE, PLEASE, **_**PLEASE **_**REVIEW! I'll write another FF after 26 reviews. **


	8. The Linking Rune

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI. Wish I did, so then Jace would be mine… *Dreamy expression on face***

**Anyway, sorry for neglecting this fanfic for so long! Let's aim for 28 reviews?**

"I think I understand the clue," Clary explained. "And it has to do with that stained glass above us."

Jace immediately looked up, a confused expression on his face. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, Clary," he said. "There's nothing but the angel above us!"

"_Three of fourteen doors will lead to a place where no one goes, an empty space. Which ones they are, Heaven knows," _Clary read. "If the poem is referring to the stained glass angel above us as Heaven…"

Jace's eyes widened in understanding of what Clary meant. He then scanned the glass quickly, and pointed at something that Clary couldn't see. "Look!" He shouted.

Clary squinted her eyes, and saw something glint in the angel's hand.

Then, she recognized it. The angel was holding a gold mirror. It was adorned with many precious stones, like rubies and diamonds. It was beautiful, Clary thought, but how would it help them achieve their task?

Jace was already a few steps ahead of her. He took out his stele and drew a rune on himself. Clary looked at it when he completed etching it. Its lines were curvy and soft. _It seems free, _Clary thought, _like a bird in flight. _She didn't have to wait long to find out what it did.

Jace jumped, and he flew into the air with inhuman speed and height. In midair, Jace grabbed the mirror from the angel and drifted back down to where Clary stood.

"I think I know what to do," Jace told Clary. He held the mirror up, and Clary knew what he was doing.

Jace was reflecting the light using the mirror back to the angel's eyes.

For a moment, nothing happened. There was an eerie silence. _What is he trying to do? _Clary wondered. If Jace had been trying to do something, it clearly had not worked. She started to lose hope.

However, the ceiling stopped descending. And that was not all that happened.

Two faint yet noticeable lights streamed from the angel's eyes to two doors. Then, the light from the two doors reflected to another yet same door. Clary gasped. These were the 3 doors that lead to nothingness that Heaven knew of.

After ruling the three lighted doors out, Jace confirmed that the best choice to go through was through the remaining 3 doors.

"Which door should we go through?" Clary asked nervously. "According to the clues, it shouldn't matter what door we pick, but…" She trailed off.

Jace looked just as indecisive as Clary felt. "I don't know," he said confidently. "But I suppose that it doesn't matter which one we choose." He spoke in a more relaxed tone, because the threat of getting squished by a stained glass angel had been stopped.

"Maybe we could go…" Clary said halfheartedly. "Through separate doors?"

That won a gasp of surprise from Jace. "No way am I letting you out of my sight," he said firmly. "Besides, I wouldn't be able to fight as well as I potentially could if I had to worry about you 24/7."

"But that way, it might be easier to find Magnus, Alec, Isabelle, and Simon!" Clary protested. Her resolve was coming back. Although she hated being apart from Jace for even a few minutes, it would increase their chances of reuniting with their companions. "Don't you want to find them, too?" She asked softly. "I'll be fine."

Jace still looked unsure. "That's true," he admitted, "But I want to make sure you're safe."

"Don't worry about me," Clary replied. "We'll always be together forever in our hearts and minds."

As Clary said this, something was triggered in her mind. The world went black as night, and Jace's voice dissolved away. A flame shot up in front of her, and exploded like fireworks. As the sparks fell, the formed a shape of entwined lines, almost like the Alliance Rune. The sparks remained there for a few seconds, and then drifted away. Jace's voice started calling to Clary.

"Clary!" Jace called frantically. "Clary!" Her eyes snapped open, and her angel's face became focused.

"Are you all right?" He asked. "You just…downright fainted a couple of minutes ago."

Clary shook her head. "Show me your arm," she demanded. Puzzled, Jace held out his arm to Clary. _What is she planning? _He wondered. Clary rarely demanded anything from him.

Clary then held her stele in that familiar way all Shadowhunters did and created a foreign design of entwining lines on Jace's forearm. After she finished, she drew an identical rune on her forearm.

"What is this?" Jace asked.

Clary did not answer. At least, Jace did not hear her say it verbally out loud. Instead, he heard her gentle voice inside his head.

_It's a Linking Rune, _Clary's voice echoed in his head. It reminded Jace of when the Silent Brothers spoke to him—he could hear them as clearly as someone talking verbally, but nobody else heard them.

_This way, you'll be able to hear me even when we're apart, _Clary said reassuringly. _And it takes practice, but you can also talk to me like this too. _

_All right, _Jace replied. He almost spoke the words out loud, but he did not. However, Clary still heard them. _Just promise me you'll tell me if you're in danger, _he added.

Clary nodded, and walked over to one of the safe doors. _I'll go through this door, _she decided. _Which one will you go through? _

Jace pointed at one of the doors on the second floor, and glass-like stairs leading to that door suddenly formed. Before walking towards them, he strode over to where Clary was.

_See you later, _Jace said. He picked up Clary in both arms and kissed her full force. He could have stayed there, embracing Clary in this circular room forever if the ceiling had not started falling again.

Clary pursed her lips, and lightly pushed Jace in the direction of his chosen door. She then opened hers, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Jace was alone. He let out a breath steadily. _Here goes nothing, _he thought in true Jace style. He turned the knob of the door, and he too vanished through the door.

**Isabelle POV**

"Isabelle," Alec's voice cut into my dreams. "Isabelle, wake up!"

"Go away," I mumbled. "It's barely 7 o'clock yet." I tried to turn away, only to find I couldn't. Something sharp bit into my wrists and ankles. I bit my lip to stop a gasp.

I opened my eyes, only to find that this was not the Institute. It was not my room either.

I was chained to the wall, along with Alec, Magnus, and Simon.

"I thought you would all be struggling to get out," a voice I truly despised said. "But you'll never escape."

**Wow that went longer than I thought it would…oh well. **

**Please review! I'm hoping I'll get 28 reviews. **


	9. Falling Through the Sky

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI, we all know that…**

**In case you can't figure it out, this chapter is about what happens to Clary when she goes through her door. **

**Clary POV**

I didn't really know what to expect when I opened the door. All I knew that it would take me—probably—where I wanted to go. As I turned the knob, I closed my eyes.

When the door creaked open, I almost wanted to close it again. But I kept opening it until it was fully ajar.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept me up into the air and pulled me as if I was falling through the door. My eyes were forced open by the wind. What was happening?

Had I chosen the wrong door? I frantically tried to grab the edge of the door that was getting farther and farther out of reach. However, it was already too late. My eyes shut again, too scared to look.

_Clary? _Jace's voice suddenly resonated in my mind. _Are you all right? _

_Yeah, _I responded. _Just…give me a second here. I'll get back to you later. _

Jace agreed, and I felt his presence in my mind fade away.

Although it scared me to not hear his voice anymore, just listening to him for a few moments filled me with courage again.

However, it did not last long.

I had been becoming increasingly suspicious of why I just kept falling. Shouldn't I have been at my destination now? Bracing myself, I looked down. I nearly screamed, too.

I was falling from who knew what height. I couldn't even see the ground I was so high up in the air.

_Stay calm, _I chided myself. _Panicking will do nothing. _I took out my stele and drew a rune I had recently learned from the Gray Book. It was the one for short Flight. Shadowhunters had not found a way to stay in air forever yet, so it was just temporary. It would hopefully spare me enough time to get to the ground in one piece, though.

I felt the rune activate, and my fall slowed to a gentle drift, and then just completely stopped. The wind was the only thing that slightly influenced me now. Gravity had no more control on me.

My relief was short-lived, though.

A dark shape hurtled towards me. I found it hard to dodge it when I could not move quickly—the Flight rune kept me suspended in air, and it was not meant to be agile. Because of that, I got a minor cut on my cheek.

After regaining my balance, I looked back at my attacker. To my surprise, it was a mundane. He was pretty tall, and if I had not met him as my attacker, I probably would've thought him as cute.

Not that I would say that; Jace would have a jealousy attack.

Anyway, he was a normal mundane. Or at least I thought so at first glance.

I had not noticed two batlike wings extending from the boy's back when I first saw him. They had hooks on the tips at the top, which was what had no doubt given me my scratch. _What is this guy? _I wondered.

I didn't have long to dwell about that. The boy launched himself swiftly at me, and this time I had no time to avoid his attack. Instead, I pulled out a Seraph blade and blocked his strikes. His movements pushed me, since I was just drifting midair. It did not help the situation at all.

I knew I could not keep defending myself forever like this. Either I would tire and I would be ripped to shreds by bat-boy here, or my temporary Flight rune would run out of energy.

I was scared, having to defend myself like this. Ever since I became a Shadowhunter, Jace had always been there if I was about to be killed by a demon or rogue Downworlder. Now I was completely on my own. Jace wasn't here to protect me.

A sudden idea hit me. I wasn't _completely _alone, was I? The Linking Rune I had drawn on Jace and I was a rune that creates a connection that cannot be severed, wasn't it? That means that I could still converse with him in my head and ask for help.

_Help, Jace! _I thought while kicking the boy through the air as hard as she could. _A mundane with batwings is attacking me! _

_Clary? _Jace replied quickly._ Is it a mundane, or a mundane possessed by a demon? _

Relief spread through me at hearing his voice. But Jace also distracted me. _It might be a demon, _I confirmed. But I was still caught up in his voice.

Bat-boy saw me lower my defenses, and immediately took advantage of that. He charged himself at me full power, and knocked me out of the sky. His hooks scratched the Flight Rune on my arm, obscuring it with blood.

_Oh, no. _I thought frantically as my consciousness began to slip away.

My eyes closed and the world went black as I hurtled down towards the ground. I faintly heard Jace still calling my name in my head until I completely lost consciousness.

**CLIFFHANGER! Though I don't think Jace is very happy about Clary not answering….**

**Anyway, please R&R! I'm hoping for at least 38 reviews…**


	10. An Experiment

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI…don't we all know that? **

**Anyway, I'm hoping to get 43 reviews…please? **

Jace suddenly heard Clary's voice inside his head abruptly stop. What had happened? He frantically called out to her countless times, only getting silence reciprocated back to him.

_Should I look for her? _He wondered uncontrollably. _What if she got hurt by that strange creature she was talking about? _

But now that their connection had faded away—most likely because Clary had been too distracted to answer back, he hoped—Jace had no means of knowing Clary's location. He decided that the best way to meet her again was to continue what he had been doing before he knew she was in trouble.

Jace broke into a run, heading toward his destination—2 wood doors leading into a church.

He burst open the doors, and sprinted through the hallway. He noticed where was heading toward another set of doors that were pretty far away. They would take him a few minutes to reach, even with his Shadowhunter speed.

_Wait for me, Clary, _he prayed silently. _You have to be alive. So does everyone else. You guys have to be. _

**Isabelle POV**

"Sebastian," I snarled as ferociously as I could muster. It was hard, because my throat and lips were dry from dehydration. I couldn't even recall the last time I had drank something.

"My name isn't _Sebastian", _Sebastian said almost angrily. "It is Jonathan."

Alec shook his head. "We don't care what you want to be called," he said. "We all want to know what you want with us."

Sebastian's lips perked up. It was not a pleasant smile; it was more of a mischievous smirk. "Does it matter?" He answered. "You will all die, sooner or later. I'm just waiting for my dear brother to arrive."

My eyes widened. "Jace isn't here," I disagreed. "We split up with him before you found us."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. He obviously did not believe me. I wasn't surprised. It's not like we were BFFLs or something.

"Perhaps it was not wise of you to state that," he said. "It just shortened your sorry lifespan."

He snapped his fingers, and a demon appeared out of thin air. "You will be my experiment, then. Instead of Jace."

I laughed, just like Jace would have. Like any Shadowhunter would have before their death, bravely. I would never show fear to this…monster.

"A _demon?" _I mocked. "You want us to fight a DEMON for your little experiment? Your standards are quite different from your father Valentine, aren't they?"

Sebastian smiled another cold smile. It sent uncontrollable shivers down my spine. Even Valentine did not smile before killing an innocent life. He had thought he was doing good to the world, at least. His son, however, was just using them as experiments.

"You'll see," he said smugly. "Tenebrius, free the Shadowhunter boy." The demon raised its sword-like hands and easily sliced through the manacles binding Alec.

I immediately felt fear. "Wait!" I nearly begged as Alec fell to the floor. "Whatever you're doing, choose me instead!"

"No can do," Sebastian said, visibly enjoying my pain. The bastard.

Alec stood up, somewhat struggling in the process? Was he hurt?

"Don't worry…," Sebastian added. "You'll soon see your brother—in Hell." The demon named Tenebrius raised his hands, and pointed the blades at Alec.

"ALEC!" I screamed. He couldn't die, not now, not ever. He was my only brother alive. Max was gone already; I had barely survived the time he had died. I couldn't bear through the same pain again.

"Alec!" a voice I knew well yelled. "Are you all right?"

It was Jace.

So…please review. I'm hoping for 43 reviews. Thanks in advance!


	11. Souls as Energy

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI. **

**This fanfic is going to be relatively short compared to my other one (Tessa's prince); this is most likely the 4****th**** to last chapter. Not so sure though.**

**Please review! I've got 38 now…so hoping for around 42. **

Jace stood there, shocked at what he saw. Why were Isabelle and the others there? He had thought they were still back at Lake Lyn.

"Jace!" Alec said in relief. "This demon thing here—Tenebrius—is one of Sebastian's!"

The demon roared at the sound of its name, and looked towards Sebastian for his next command. But Sebastian merely raised his hand to the demon in a command for it to cease action, and let his eyes trail to Jace's.

"Welcome, brother," he greeted. "You've come just in time to witness my experiment." He then gestured to Tenebrius to do whatever he had asked him to do beforehand. Tenebrius once again raised his two blades and pointed them at Alec.

A bright light that came out of Alec engulfed itself around Alec, who shouted in pain. The light surrounding him slowly made its way to Tenebrius' blades. The blades were taking away the light from Alec.

"Alec!" Magnus shouted. The light ceased to emit from Alec and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

"Damn," Sebastian muttered. "The protection of Raziel forbids me to retrieve the rest of the Shadowhunter's life source."

"What did you do to Alec?" Simon yelled. Isabelle was too horrified and shocked to say anything. Sebastian just smirked. "Watch," was all he said.

Tenebrius raised his hands and pointed them toward the ceiling. A dark burst of energy spurted from the tips and crashed through the ceiling. "This is the power of Curatrix's metal," Sebastian said triumphantly. "And Tenebrius' blades are only the beginning of it!"

"Why do you have Curatrix?" Jace demanded. _Damn. _He thought at the same time. _I read in the original Mortal Instruments Legend that Curatrix is able to produce as much metal as the owner would like. _"The demon told us one of you Morgensterns had stolen it a long time ago!"

"Do not forget I have the blood of demons living in me," Sebastian said smugly. "I simply transported back in time, to fool you idiots into thinking my ancestors had it!"

"You—," Isabelle started to speak an insult (which was probably not appropriate for the rating of this fanfic), but was interrupted by a figure hurtling down through the hole Tenebrius had made with the burst of energy he had created.

It was Clary.

**Okay, so if I confused anybody, quick recap:**

**-Sebastian stole Curatrix by time traveling to many centuries ago, and used its metal to create the blades Tenebrius has. **

**-Clary was falling unconscious in one of the chapters, and she reappears in this chapter by falling through the roof of the church. **

**-Also, Sebastian uses Alec's soul/life source to create the power Tenebrius unleashes. **


	12. Sebastian's Way of Fighting

**Disclaimer: I don't own the MI series, and I wouldn't if I could. It all belongs to CC, who is a wonderful author! **

**So for those skipping chapters, Clary has crashed through the hole in the church roof, where Jace has found Isabelle and the others. **

**BTW: ALEC IS NOT DEAD! HE IS MERELY UNCONSIOUS (because Sebastian cannot retrieve a Shadowhunter's complete life source because of Raziel's protection). **

"Clary!" Jace yelled frantically. He sprinted across the church and caught Clary in his arms. He then put her on the ground, completely forgetting he was still vulnerable to one of his worst enemies.

Clary's eyes fluttered a few times. "Jace," she managed in a weak voice. "Where are we?"

Jace's heartbeat slowed, knowing that Clary was fine. At least he thought so until he saw her arm and her obscured Flight Rune. "What the hell happened?" He demanded. He immediately sent an accusing look towards an amused Sebastian.

"How touching to worry over your girlfriend like that," Sebastian said. "Yet you forget that I am still in power here."

Jace spun around, only to find Tenebrius' blades hurling up into the air and roughly chaining him to the wall next to Isabelle. "Clary!" He shouted as Tenebrius jostled her to the wall next to him.

"Since you are all here, Shadowhunters," Sebastian declared, "I will show you what my newly created Curatrix is able to do!" He snapped his fingers, and Magnus's wrists were free from the manacles. Magnus rushed towards Alec, but was stopped by Tenebrius.

"Your boyfriend is safe," assured Sebastian. "And he will remain so unless you do not do my bidding."

Magnus looked at Sebastian with an expression that could kill off a few demons.

"No?" Sebastian said. "Then Alec here will have to suffer for you." He began to raise his hand towards Alec when Magnus cried for him to stop.

"I knew you would do it," Sebastian said with a smirk. "Now summon me a couple hundred mundanes."

Alec began to stir on the floor. "Don't, Magnus," he croaked. "The Clave will never forgive you."

Magnus shook his head. "My duty is not towards the foolish Clave," he said sadly yet firmly. "Even if the Shadow-world burns in this decision, I would never regret putting you as my priority."

He raised his hands, and 500, maybe even 600 mundanes appeared out of thin air. They were of all different kinds—men and women, young and old, American to Asian. They also looked very frightened.

"Mommy," a little boy cried, his blue eyes shimmering with tears. "What's happening?"

Sebastian laughed a cruel laugh. "What is happening?" He mimicked. "You shall see in a few moments." He then turned towards Jace, Clary, Isabelle, Alec (who finally managed to stand), Simon, and Magnus.

"This is the greatest way to find energy for my Curatrix," he declared. "Mundane souls."

Tenebrius pointed his blades made of Curatrix's metal towards the crowd of mundanes. A huge light surrounded them, and their bodies were gone as soon as they had been there.

Instead of them, Tenebrius' blades practically glowed with energy. "Mundane souls are not protected by Raziel," Sebastian explained triumphantly. "And they leave no evidence behind that their souls were taken."

Magnus' face was white. "So that is your way of fighting," was all he said.

Simon had a look of utmost disgust on his face. "You…_bastard_," he said. "_Murderer!_"

Sebastian just laughed. "A child of the Night who steals the blood of the living calls ME a murderer?" That silenced Simon. Sebastian was just like his father—he had a way of speaking that could not be argued against.

"At least he has a decent mind," Jace shouted at his 'brother'. "He wouldn't just wipe out 500 or so lives just to control the Clave!"

Sebastian turned to Jace. "Do you know," he said in a deadly soft voice. "That even if I cannot take your soul, I can torture it to the point of madness? Alec was lucky that Tenebrius was inexperienced…now he knows how to suck out souls better. He could pull your soul almost away from your body."

Tenebrius turned to face Jace, seeming delighted of consuming more souls. Jace's complexion paled, but he said nothing. He just closed his eyes gently, waiting for the agony to come.

"Wait!" Clary screamed. "Don't hurt him, please!"

Sebastian held up a hand to stop Tenebrius for a moment. "And what is in your power to stop me," he asked. He said it almost as if it was a rhetorical question. But the confidence in his eyes suddenly faded when he saw his sister's face.

"If I willingly let you take my soul instead," she said in a trembling voice. "Will you free the rest of my friends?"

**GASP! Will Sebastian accept Clary's offer? Even SSV does not know how the plot will go yet… :P**

**Please R&R, I've got 41 reviews right now. **


	13. Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do not own MI…**

**Sorry for putting off my work like this! I've just been lazy; procrastinating, sleeping, and getting summer vacation sickness…you know what I mean. Anyway, hope you like this chapter!**

Sebastian looked at Clary incomprehensively. The others looked at them cautiously, worry for Clary apparent on their faces.

"You would…sacrifice yourself for another Shadowhunter?" Sebastian said distractedly, almost as if to himself. "Even though Jace is not even your Parabatai?"

"Yes, I would," Clary said confidently—although the possibility that she could be seconds away from her death was making her shake inside. "He is not only a Shadowhunter to me; he is the person most dear to me! I won't let you touch him!"

Sebastian looked at Jace, then back to Clary. Hopelessness was written plainly on Jace's features, while a fierce look emitted from Clary. She didn't even look once away from Jace.

"I see," Sebastian finally said. "I don't understand why you would do this, but I will accept your offer."

"NO!" Simon, Jace, and Isabelle cried out.

"Thank you," Clary said. "But there's one thing I want to ask you before you take my soul."

Sebastian looked at his sister suspiciously. "What is it?" He asked.

"Lean closer," Clary pleaded. "I do not want the others to hear."

To everyone's surprise, Sebastian freed Clary from the wall. He then told her to whisper to him what she wanted to tell him. Clary nodded, and inclined her head toward his neck.

Suddenly, a glint of silver—_no, the blaze of a Seraph blade, _Jace thought—sliced through the air near Sebastian.

Then, the Seraph blade was knocked out of Clary's hand in an instant. She landed on the floor hard, the impact of Sebastian's blow knocking the air out of her. The blow also seemed to hurt her badly.

"Clary!" Isabelle yelled. Sebastian merely laughed, and kicked Clary hard. The echo in the room caused Clary's sharp breath of pain to resonate through the area.

"Did you seriously think," Sebastian mocked. "That your stupid _plan _would work against me, bitch?"

Clary just glared at her brother in response.

"Although your plea to me was just part of your pathetic plan," Sebastian continued, "I will still take your soul—after all, Shadowhunter souls can be taken if the owner willingly offers it."

Clary's complexion paled, but she merely nodded. Then, she looked at her friends; possibly for the last time in her life. "The thing about exchanging my soul," she said, "It wasn't all a plan."

With that, she closed her eyes as Tenebrius' arms went up and a bright light flashed around her.

When Jace opened his eyes again, there was no trace of the girl he loved.

**Clary POV**

Where was I? I felt like it was raining, because of that hazy feeling I always got when the weather was bad. Yet somewhere inside me, I knew I was not on Earth anymore. The bond that connected me to Earth was absent. I never knew I was linked with that place unconsciously.

If I was not on Earth…by the Angel, where was I?

The haziness inside my head increased to a dizzying level as everything suddenly came crashing down on me.

I remembered everything now; how I had sold my soul for the freedom of my friends. How I had nearly been able to trick Sebastian, but my stupid brother did not fall for it. I was filled with a moment of utmost fury.

And then, I only felt emptiness. I had haphazardly sold my soul to a half-demon. Who knew if he would keep to his word? What if he killed my friends nevertheless? What if he tortured Jace to the point where his soul would shatter?

But regret did not fill me. If I saved him, then it was all right.

Now what should I do? I was trapped somewhere (only God knows where), with only an empty space surrounding me.

"Hello?" A small voice spoke out, shattering the disorienting silence. "Who are you?"

I spun around, ready to defend myself. But then, my hands dropped from their protective stance.

It was the little boy whose soul had been destroyed right in front of my eyes.

**What do you think? Please review—52 reviews right now (yes I'm a sucker for reviews), but pretty please review!**


	14. The Little Boy

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI, you all know that. :P**

**In any case, I'm back on the PC…typing more chapters. Sorry for the wait! **

**CLARY POV**

I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the same little boy who had been deprived of his soul—the same blue eyes, the identical blonde hair. He looked a little like Jace, and my heart pounded a bit at that. He was still crying, but did not seem too afraid of me. I wondered why. For all he knew, I could be another demon ready to kill him—if he wasn't already dead, that was.

In any case, I decided to talk to him. "I'm Clary," I said in what I hoped was a comforting and motherly voice. "Do you know where we are?"

The little boy shook his head sadly. "I don't know," he answered. "But Mommy told me not to go too far or else…" Without finishing what he was saying, he fell to the ground, shaking.

"What's wrong?" I asked frantically. But no matter how many times I asked him, I did not get even a murmur from the little boy. He wouldn't stop shaking.

"Everyone's leaving me," he finally cried out. "They all disappear!"

What did he mean? According to my eyes, he was the one that had disappeared, not…

If people were disappearing NOW, what did that mean?

"Can you take me to your mommy?" I said as gently as I could. "I might be able to find out how to get us out of here."

The boy, though cautious, nodded. "Just promise you won't hurt her," he said in his little voice.

I promised, but in my heart knew it was in vain. I had caused all of this to begin with—after all, that monster named Sebastian was my brother.

After a while of walking through the seemingly endless stretch of whiteness, I noticed a faint shape appearing. The shape was also moving. As I strained my eyes, I realized it was a group of people.

"Mommy!" The little boy cried in joy. His eyes shined again with the gleam of tears that had appeared before his soul was stolen.

"Jasper," the tall woman I assumed was his mother scolded. "You know not to wander off at a time like this, I was scared out of my life when you were missing, you bad little—"she cut off, noticing me. "Who is this?" she inquired.

"I'm Clarissa," I introduced myself. "What are you all doing here?"

The woman shook her head. I noticed how she did it in the exact same way Jasper did. "We just appeared here after a quite magnificent illusion; was that your doing, and will you be able to bring us back?" She smiled at me, expecting me to reveal the secret to my "trick".

I supposed since they were here, there was no need to hide the truth.

"Madam, that was no illusion," I said sadly. "It was a demon—one that you should be terrified of."

The poor woman gasped, and clutched her son tighter. "So it was not part of the trick when the light came and—"

On cue, a light sliced through the air. The people started screaming, trying to dodge the light. As I ran from the light, I had a feeling I knew what that light was.

Suddenly, I remembered. It was Tenebrius' light.

"Everyone, run!" I screamed over the horde of screaming people.

The light suddenly swerved, shooting towards Jasper.

"Jasper!" I screamed. I dove for him, but his mother was faster.

She had just enough time to fling Jasper out of the way to me, and then the light swallowed her along with other people fleeing. I covered Jasper's eyes as I watched, horrified.

My hand, stiff with horror, fell from Jasper's face. His mother was gone, as quick as she had disappeared when Tenebrius had taken her soul.

"MOMMY!" The boy cried. He started running towards the light, crying that it should give his mommy back.

"Jasper, no!" I yelled. "You'll die, too!"

"I don't care!" The little boy bawled. "My mommy's gone!" The light sensed this negative energy, and flew toward him.

It was too late—I knew that I couldn't save him. _I'm sorry, _I thought hopelessly.

The worst feeling was that as the light closed in on him, he reminded me so much of the boy I loved, still in Sebastian's evil grasp.

**So, what did you think? Please review, I love reviews. **


	15. Regret

…

…**.**

***Waiting for scream of "WHY AREN'T YOU UPDATING?"* **

**Hi, SSV here! I'm really sorry for not updating quickly; school work has finally caught up with me and I've been staring at US History reports for ETERNITY. Anyway, I apologize for the delay. .**

JACE

All Jace could do was stare at Jonathan, utterly horrified. _She's not dead, _the stubborn part of his brain urged. _Clary wouldn't die so easily like that. _

But after seeing what Jonathan had done to Curatrix—defiled it so deeply, created a weapon that used innocent souls for energy—what could he protest on Clary's behalf?

"I see reality has finally dawned upon you, little brother," Jonathan sneered. "But what will you do now?" Jace barely contained the mountain of insults coursing through him, pushing to launch themselves out of his mouth and at the sad excuse for Clary's brother. He bit back on his lip, only to taste the coppery taste of blood.

"Now," Jonathan continued, "Do you see the power that Tenebrius beholds? He just retrieved more energy from his resources, and look! Perhaps your sister's soul is wandering about in it…?"

This was too much for Jace to handle.

"You monster!" he seethed angrily. "Your father was worth 10 of you!"

"And that's saying something," Magnus piped up behind him, earning a death glare from Alec that translated into: If you die because you just said that, I'm breaking up with you.

"Clary!" Jace yelled desperately, trying to reach her. "Clary!"

Jonathan laughed. "It's useless," he said cruelly. "Your voice will never be heard by her."

"Clary!" Jace kept yelling.

CLARY

I was alone. The people had all been devoured by Tenebrius' power, and I was the only one left.

"_Clary!"_

I looked up around me in disbelief. That voice—it was unmistakably Jace's.

"Jace?" I yelled into the whiteness around me. "Jace?"

There was no answer.

"JACE!" I cried out desperately. Had I imagined it all—did my mind finally snap from everything that was happening?

"Miss," a voice called to me cautiously. I spun around, eager to see if it was him.

To my disappointment, it was a girl—possibly around my age. She was tall and slender, with long mahogany hair nearly hidden under her New York Yankees hat.

"Hi," I said cautiously. Was this another trap Jonathan had prepared to try to use my soul against Jace's life?

"So you're still here," the girl said in wonder. "I escaped—and so did these other people." She gestured behind her to a small group of people I hadn't been aware of.

"You…escaped?" I asked. "How?" I needed to know the answer to that question—after all, I had somehow managed to dodge death (quite literally) as well.

"I'm not sure," the girl answered. "I just thought of my little brother and my mother and how I missed them, and I was left. These people thought of their families and lovers, as well."

Then, it suddenly clicked. Hadn't I thought of Jace, who I loved?

"Excuse me," a young girl with her short hair in pigtails interrupted my reverie. "I thought of my house in Texas and wishing I could have been there instead of here; but I'm still here."

"Hey," a middle aged man said. He was wearing formal attire—perhaps he was a businessman of some sort. "I thought of the workload my boss was gonna give me until I got caught up in this mess. Now I'd take that entire computer administrating work all the time over this."

I stopped pacing (something I accidently do when I think), confused. What did that mean?

The 3 things that kept the souls from getting absorbed by Tenebrius HAD to have something in common…it was just the problem of what that similarity was.

While I was thinking, Jace could be being tortured by my evil brother.

STOP! I commanded my thoughts. If I kept thinking like that, I'd never have a chance of surviving the next time Tenebrius came to retrieve energy.

But what if he was?

STOP! I commanded myself again. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. Jace being hit square in the chest with Tenebrius' light, just like when Valentine had put a sword through his heart….

I couldn't calm down. My breath became shallower and shallower as a squeezed my eyes shut.

If I could have changed one thing in my life (or death now, perhaps) in that instant, it would have been going back to where Jace was.

Then I understood. "That's it!" I exclaimed, probably scaring the souls around me.

"What do you understand?" The girl in the baseball cap asked me.

"How you escape from Tenebrius here!" I said, stumbling over the words.

The girl's eyes widened in surprise. "How?" She asked.

"It's regret!" I exclaimed. "If you think of something that attaches you to Earth still—some sort of unfinished business; Tenebrius can't get to your soul and capture it fully!"

The girl looked at me skeptically. "Regret isn't as powerful as love, or hate…" she replied uncertainly.

I shook my head quickly. "If you, theoretically, of course—died and missed your love, it wouldn't be LOVE that made you feel that way. It would be regret that weighed in on you; not love."

The girl's eyes opened widely, and I knew I was right. That was why Jasper hadn't been able to escape Tenebrius; his mother was there, so he didn't feel regretful.

Now that I knew how to resist Tenebrius, I was one step closer to at least saving Jace's life. _Wait for me, _I pleaded to the boy I loved so dearly. _I'll save you, no matter what it takes. _

**How was that for an update? Please review, and tell me what you think. **


	16. Clary's Plan

**Disclaimer: I don't own MI, again. **

**Hi guys, SSV here again…I guess it's been a couple weeks…**

**SSV 2: What the hell, SSV! It's been 6 months—no, almost 7! **

**SSV: . You're right…sorry! **

**So yeah, I'm really sorry about not updating…just I'm a major procrastinator so. **

CLARY POV

Then again, everything is easier said than done. Just because I knew how to resist Tenebrius didn't mean I could escape from this endless void.

Every second I wasted was a chance for Sebastian to harm the others.

_There should be a way out of this place, _I thought to myself, _There has to be. _

JACE POV

Jace felt as if Hell had risen up to consume the earth. Not only that, but as if Heaven had abandoned them completely and allowed the Earth the frost over with demonic miasma.

"What…," Jace managed.

Sebastian merely stood triumphantly, his eyes glittering maliciously. "Dear brother, do you need an appointment with an optometrist?" He sneered. "Your sister's soul has been taken by Curatrix."

When it was uttered aloud, the force of reality truly hit Jace.

Clary was gone.

"You bastard!" Isabelle screamed, losing her usually cool composure. "You killed your own sister to fuel that…_monster_!"

"True," Sebastian agreed. "Yet a Shadowhunter's soul is indeed most powerful—only bested by the Angels' souls themselves. It was an opportunity that could not be missed."

"But," he continued, "I'm afraid it is not enough to sustain my dear Tenebrius."

He then pointed at Magnus, who resignedly summoned more mundanes. _After all, Alec is my priority, _he thought as 2000 or so humans appeared in front of Tenebrius.

He looked away as the thousands of lives he summoned disappeared into thin air.

CLARY POV

A bright flash interrupted my thoughts. As I looked around frantically, an immeasurable population of people suddenly appeared.

Judging by their confused manner and lack of Runes, I realized with a sharp pain that Tenebrius had again stolen the souls of mundanes.

"Where are we?" A girl with black hair cried. "And where's Sam?"

"Sam?" I asked gently but urgently.

"My brother," she sobbed. "He was h-holding my h-and, until j-just now…"

"I'm sorry," I murmured. And I sincerely meant it.

First Jasper and the others; would these poor people be next to suffer Sebastian's ruthless treatment?

I could have prevented this all—but I had been far too incapable. If only I had been able to kill Sebastian, none of this would have happened.

Jace, Isabelle, Simon, Alec, Magnus—they would all be save and out of harm's way.

A fiery determination consumed me. Their lives were now in my hands, and I would not be so weak to give up before it was too late.

If only Tenebrius could not use the souls for power—then Sebastian could not hurt any more people this way.

Suddenly, I realized that as souls who had already been taken to be transformed into power, we had more control than one would think.

"Everyone!" I yelled over the panicking crowd.

Though they had been screaming, they all turned to me quizzically.

"I have a plan," I announced triumphantly. "One that could save not only us but people who could end up like us!"

"What is it?" The black-haired girl said excitedly.

I decided to first explain the details of what was occurring. After all, they had a right to know now. I started with Sebastian and the stealing of Curatrix.

But I lied to them about one part. Even if my plan went successfully, we were already trapped. As souls who had already been captured, we could never return to be among the living again.

**So, that's the end of chapter 16! Please R&R…and don't hesitate to give me constructive criticism! And even if you don't particularly have any comments, please just review even to tell me you read it. **

**-SSV**


	17. A Soul for a Soul

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments.**

**So…hi guys, it's SSV again. I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in FOREVER, due to some personal obstacles here outside of the world of pixels. If any of you are still interested, here is chapter 17 of my fanfic. I know it's rude of me to ask, but please review, as your constructive criticism is much appreciated. :P**

CLARY POV

The sea of people looked at me with eyes shining with hope. Even though I knew that we were to be sacrificed in order to save those who were still alive, their glances fueled my determination.

"So whenever Curatrix's light returns," I explained, "think of what you regret most in ending up here. I don't mind if it is as deep as leaving behind your children, or as trivial as not finishing a cup of coffee. But your regret _will _save you."

"All right!" The black-haired girl cheered. I almost had to look away in guilt as she ran around singing that she would be with her family once more.

But if she were to perish here, wouldn't it only be fair to tell her what her future really was?

"Wait, actually…" I started, but not before a familiar light appeared and streaked towards us.

I prayed towards Raziel that my plan would work against Sebastian as the light came towards me and enveloped my body.

JACE POV

Jace felt as if he was drowning in Lake Lyn. All he could see was a blur of colors; Clary had taken all meaning and shape in his life with her when she had disappeared. In the corner of his eye, he saw a dark shape hurdle towards him- Tenebrius, he assumed. The idle thought that this might be the end for him crossed his mind, yet he did not care. After all, the world beyond would reunite him with Clary, would it not?

"JACE!" He heard, a distant yet heartwarming voice. He must be dying, Jace thought, if he were hearing his love's voice. He closed his eyes and braced himself for potential agony.

"Goddamnit Jace, OPEN YOUR EYES!" Clary's voice screamed next to his ear.

"Stop screaming at me!" Jace replied irritably, and opened his eyes by reflex.

Sebastian stared through Jace, something almost like _fear _glinting in his dark eyes.

"How did you…," he managed. "And all of the mundanes behind you…"

Jace turned his head, and his heart expanded at the sight of Clary behind him. However, that hope suddenly turned to dread.

"Clary, what are you doing?" he yelled. "He'll get you again!"

Clary shook her head, her swaying hair scattering the golden light covering her. "He can't possibly hurt us," she said simply, like she was stating an absolute fact.

"That isn't right," Sebastian sneered. "TENEBRIUS, GET THAT CROWD OF SOULS!"

Tenebrius glided towards Clary, and Jace had the strongest urge to put himself between the monster and her. But Clary stood there defiantly, without fear or anger.

Tenebrius raised his arm, and brought down Curatrix towards Clary. However, Clary did not even flinch as the blade cracked as it came in contact with her skull.

"What…," Sebastian said incredulously. "Tenebrius, I command you to try once more!"

Tenebrius turned toward his master, and reached towards him with the sword.

"He needs energy from souls," Clary spoke softly, though the edge in her voice was deadly. "And since these _mundanes _that you so detest protect my friends, he has no choice but to turn against YOU."

"NO!" Sebastian screamed, panic entering his normally eloquent speech. "Tenebrius, I CREATED YOU! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY YOUR CREATOR!"

"You betrayed your family," Jace murmured. "Raziel shall bring you down to where you belong, _you piece of scum_."

"I am more powerful than you could imagine, Clarissa," Sebastian implored. "I will even defeat Tenebrius here for you!" As he said this, his hands traced swift motions in the air to create a dark aura. _A dark shield, _Jace realized. _But it will not protect you from a Mortal Instrument. _

Clary's brother faced her, and their eyes locked for a split second. Black met green for a second, but the connection was cut as Curatrix hurtled down and erased Sebastian's soul.

Tenebrius turned his head towards Clary, and walked towards her.

"**Mihi debes animas vestras**," he stated.

Clary nodded. "I know," she whispered. "Please just let me say goodbye."

Jace's heart stopped. "What do you mean, 'say goodbye'?" He demanded. "Isn't Sebastian dead?"

Clary shook her head, sadly but with resignation. "Tenebrius has already disturbed the balance of good and evil energy by allowing me to kill Sebastian," she responded. "Curatrix needs my soul- as well as the others'- in order to restore itself to it's past form of a means of protection for the Nephilim. Even Tenebrius understands this, as he is a part of this world as well."

"I'm sorry," Clary apologized to the black haired girl standing next to Isabelle, protecting her with her own soul. "I lied to save them."

"It's all right," the girl responded, though her crying contradicted her words. "At least I will go knowing I did something for this terrible world."

"Isn't there _anything—" _Jace's voice broke on the last syllable. "Tenebrius has already disobeyed many of the laws of our world; why must he abide by them now?"

"He is dying," Clary said, "And the only way he can save himself and our souls is to depart now."

Tenebrius grimaced, and moved his arm to uncover a bloody hold through his abdomen.

Clary knelt down, and let her lips delicately brush Jace's. "I love you," she said with conviction. "No matter what, that will always be true."

Jace struggled in vain to prevent his tears from falling. They slid down, and fell as Tenebrius raised Curatrix and disappeared along with Clary.

A golden shield clattered to the floor, with the finality of a door slamming shut, separating him and his love.

**So…first chapter in a very long time, and it had to be a tragic one. Rest assured, this is not the end of this fanfiction (not by a long shot). PLEASE review, and I will try to write another installment of this story in the near future. **

**-SSV**


End file.
